University of Wisconsin–Madison

Ireland: Elle Johnson

Program: University College Dublin Nursing, Summer

Elle’s Major: Nursing

This is me at the Cliffs of Moher! I was in awe at the breathtaking landscape and was so happy to be where I was in that moment.
This is me at the Cliffs of Moher! I was in awe at the breathtaking landscape and was so happy to be where I was in that moment.

What is the moment you are most proud of?

What is your most memorable experience from your program? As small as it may be, the moment I am most proud of is when I got to my apartment in Ireland and went and knocked on my roommates’ doors to meet them for the first time. Being a more timid person, I really had to work up the courage to push myself out of my comfort zone and meet new people to create lifelong memories with them. I am so happy that I did that because I will continue to be in contact with my newfound friends and cherish my time in Ireland with them forever.

What is your most memorable experience from this program?

The most memorable experience that I had from my program would be seeing the Cliffs of Moher on the western coast of Ireland in person. It was breathtaking and awe-inspiring, and I could not stop repeating: “wow“. Ireland as a whole is so beautiful, but the Cliffs will be something I will not soon forget about and will be a memory I hold dear to my heart for a long time.

I learned that I am capable of pushing myself out of my comfort zone, and that exploring the world—even when you don’t know anyone, or are in a new environment—is how you grow as a person.

How were your program academics similar or different from taking classes at UW-Madison?

I would say that my program academics were similar to taking classes at UW-Madison. We were enrolled in one course in Ireland, and we usually met twice a day, once for lecture and once for a group work, small classroom setting. I got to learn new things, form new global perspectives, but the layout of the course was very similar to those that I’ve taken in Madison. The grading scale is different, as they do not have the A-F evaluation grades, but they do use their own scale.

This is me and some of the friends that I made while I was in Ireland, on a hike! I had never met them before getting to my program, and we really became so close because of everything we experienced together!
This is me and some of the friends that I made while I was in Ireland, on a hike! I had never met them before getting to my program, and we really became so close because of everything we experienced together!

What is your advice for someone considering your program?

My advice for someone who is considering my program is to just do it. It was nerve-wracking to go with people I didn’t really know from Madison, as well as meeting new students from other U.S. universities, but I really do believe I made friends for life because of this experience. We shared a bond in Ireland, and learned so many new things about ourselves and the world, and it will be something that I carry with me for the rest of my life. I could not have better things to say about a program compared to this one.

What is a custom, food or tradition from your host country that you are taking forward?

I loved learning about the old Gaelic language while I was in Ireland because it really isn’t popular outside of that region of the world. I will continue to look into Gaelic culture and language practices to continually carry my experience forward with me in the future.